Dear GA, Sorry to hear about your mishap, I hope that you have a speedy recovery. Perhaps Mr. P can take over your blog (the post about the mice of Spitalfields is long overdue ). Sending you a virtual hug.

Oh no – poor you. I think your kind friends, and your own ingenuity, will see you through and I’m quite sure that your readers will understand and support you all the way. Mr. Pussy is an understanding sort of character too. Meanwhile I hope it’s not too painful though it sure will be disabling for a while. Mend soon!

wishing you a prompt recovery
perhaps digging in Culpepper’s remedies is called for?
i seem to remember that comfrey, growing wildly in many places in East London, is also called ‘knitbones’, but i’ve no idea on how to prepare it

writing and pootling about will make it feel better. you will quickly acclimate to being one-armed, to the point where they take off the cast you will feel a miraculous ambidextrousness flow down from the heavens. but one arm is good. serviceable. enlightening. <3

Was it those wonderful steep ancient stairs in Fournier Street?
Hope not too painful – we’d love to see some of the old pieces from your very first year. I still remember what a treat they were each morning. Very special. Just dig them out and press send!
ps. Molasses meant to be a good bone mender! x

Oh, Gentle Author! ~ So very sorry for your fall!
Rest your arm and honor your healing. So difficult, but so very necessary for a good mend.

All of everyone will be praying for your mend and waiting patiently. Please be assured that you can never disappoint your myriad and devoted followers ~

I recall when I broke my arm a couple years ago, I was suddenly thrust into a whole new realm of consciousness. The smallest everyday task became something of a challenge. Though my station was temporary, I often found myself standing in solidarity with all who suffer handicaps of any kind. (not an inconsequential state) I learned so much while shepherding my mend. I also found myself vigilant over the body’s miraculous powers of self-healing.

Sending you warmest wishes – all the way across the sea – on a cold winter’s night ~

So sorry to read of your accident, GA.. get well soon.. did Mr pussy have a hand (paw) in your demise? Perhaps he has a dastardly plan for blog domination. It would be exciting to read his thoughts on Spitalfields life. His smaller feline world will be quite different in its perspective. Take care. X

so very sorry to hear this! Focus on healing. Daily life will be difficult, we take for granted all we do with all our limbs without even thinking. Glad you have friends to help you out. All best wishes for a speedy recovery. A devoted reader in Berlin.

I hope that you have quick and pain free recovery. However, you may well have opened up a whole new tranche of subject matter: broken bones in Spitalfields then and now; Quack doctors and bone-menders; are cats lucky or portents of doom?

So sorry to hear about your accident; a disaster for anyone, but so hard for a writer. You are fortunate to have such caring friends. I’m a relatively new reader but I have been going back over your old posts. For nearly 40 years we have been taking our son back and forth to The Royal London ( I lived in the old hospital with him for 3 months initially) and through your posts I have at last found out more about the area – buildings and roads I have long wondered about. Thank you!

OUCH! (again)
As someone who is still recovering from an incredibly painful multiple sprain & muscle-pulling in my upper right arm, back in January, you have my every sympathy.
Mr Pussy looks suitably unimpressed – will someone else have to spoon out his luxury kitty-nosh for the prsent?

You have faithfully given us daily delight, food for thought and entertainment for years. Now must put yourself and your health first and only do what you can do comfortably. Take care, with my very best wishes for a speedy recovery, Enid x

Very sorry to hear of your accident – I really enjoy reading your blog every day, with so many interesting facts about London – as well as the East End, my favourite area. I do hope that you make a speedy recovery and that you find help to type your entries.

So sorry to hear of your unfortunate mishap. Wishing you a speedy recovery. Maybe now a good time to arrange delivery of your treasured leather restoration! Will email shortly. Good luck with the exhibition today.

Dear GA
Very sorry to hear about your accident – I hope your arm isn’t too painful. We will all be patient over the coming weeks. The most important thing is for your arm to heal properly if you want to avoid problems later on.
Your writings are a joy to read first thing over a cuppa. There is always something new of interest to learn about London as a whole as well as the Spitalfields area. It is a great way to start the day. I spread the word about your website whenever I can.
Warmest wishes for a speedy recovery.
JD

Having suffered similar three months ago am passing on best practical advice given to me : stay ahead of the pain!
Pussy is look very stern, hope you didn’t trip over him as he crossed your path.
best wishes and hopes for speedy recovery.
anne

I love your stories. I have discovered the beautiful Chelsea Physic Garden because of you. I also went to Dennis Sevres house which was so interesting and has prompted my children to find out more about their silk weaving ancestors. So thank you and hope your arm feels better soon.

…if that cast could be our message-board you’d no doubt have a list of well-wishers well-wishing ‘as long as your arm’ …noting that this is an arm that’s reached around the world to embrace so many. It has an incomparable strength

GA, what can we do to help. How can any of us day-to-day for the next few weeks ‘lend a hand’ that may just make the authoring more gentle on that mending bone.

Please tell us, knowing — as so many of us do — how much the ‘one a day’ means to you, and of course how much it has come to mean to us in our many thousands “in the midst of life”.

It will be one-a-day arm-wise for 6 weeks or so, and not the one you are used to using, so the connection between brain and ten typing fingers down to five will feel, be, different.

And yes maybe the connection between you and us too, as the writing necessarily takes a different form and format …of review and recounting, captioning and recapping.

But it will be OK

It always was the work of your ‘eyes and ears’ (your own and those that you borrow/adopt through your relationships with your subjects) that we all so appreciate, admire and aspire to, even though we of course have that right hand and left-side of the brain to thank too!

So there’s a broken arm and broken rhythm, but no broken promise or broken bonds.

Ouch. Get well soon, GA, and concentrate on healing. One-handed blogging can be s-l-o-w work. I’m sure your Gentle Readers will be happy with short posts and the odd missed day, or, as others have suggested, revisiting favourites from the past.

From a gentle, faithful reader in Cañar, Ecuador: I’m very sorry to hear about your accident and wish you a speedy return to the keyboard. Meanwhile, I like the suggestion that Mr. P take over the blog…

So sorry to hear – do hope it wasn’t Mr Pussy’s fault – mine are always winding round my feet on the stairs, and I’m sure they would find it most amusing if I went head over heels………
Do make sure you recover as soon as possible – don’t work if you don’t feel like it. We’d all miss your blog if it rested for a bit – but I’m sure we would rather you didn’t push yourself to hard and slow your healing. I had right and left hands out in turn a few years back (surgery one at a time) and remember how much worse the right was – and I’m not even very strongly right handed – it’s more having to revise all your habits, and not having the home set up for a left hander. Good luck, and good healing to you.

I’m so sorry to learn of your pain. Mr. Pussy will comfort you – he has a guilty look, did you fall over him? I enjoy your website every day, but you need a break now, a different kind than a broken bone. Don’t worry about the website. Take time off to rest!
Love always, and God bless!

Oh, rotten bad luck, hope it’s not too sore. Love reading you but do have some time off to recover. Or maybe time to embrace new technology and try voice recognition software – I can recommend Dragon (just the basic version), you have to train it to start with but works very well x

Dear GA,
May I add my Danish voice to the many who have sent very best wishes for the full recovery of your broken arm. Such bad luck, how ever it happened ! Mr Pussy ?
First was introduced to your blog through your article about the first Danish Church in Wellclose Square.
Very best
Lisbeth

Dear GA – my heart goes out to you! Shockwaves reverberate on SL today – we falsely assume with the rhythm of the daily story that you are impervious to mishap and calamity. Trust and hope you are surrounded by a network of caring friends for support in the weeks ahead… I am sure that you are. So very sorry to hear your news. All good thoughts and love in your direction – you are so much a part now of all our lives… such an achievement.
Moyra

So sorry to here of your mishap and wishing you a speedy recovery. Every morning I drink my coffee and read you. (and often forward) As someone who has ties to London and the UK but rarely gets to visit these days it is a wonderful way to still feel connected. Your Xmas letters moved me to tears. All the best. XXX A

Oh, I’m so sorry to learn that you’ve broken your arm. I know from experience that broken bones can be quite painful as they heal, but it’s my hope that you experience a rapid and pain-free recovery. So happy to know that your friends have rallied round you.

I hope your arm doesn’t hurt too much, and mends quickly. May I suggest that you explore the possibility of dictating to your computer? My Macbook comes with inbuilt dictation capability, but if your machine is not an Apple you can purchase software of varying sensitivity and price. It may help to reduce the wear and tear on your other arm!

I was treading your streets only last Friday and, thanks to this wonderful website, was able to tell my companion some of the history (and some of the feared future) of parts of it. We discovered Toynbee Street, sadly delapidated by beautiful in its own way. What history it must have to tell…

So sorry to hear of your unfortunate mishap…hope that you soon feel better. I am sure Mr Pussy will look very fetching in a little nurses outfit to help and support you!
Look forward to seeing you back in harness just as soon as you feel well enough.
Don’t forget that you have a huge band of followers who can help you out if you ask!
Best wishes for a speedy recovery…

Well, never ever have I seen so many good wishes to which I, belatedly, add mine, at least you now know just how much you mean to us all, and just how much we all enjoy all that you write but none of us will mind if you take time off to get really well again. I hope that you didn’t trip over Mr Pussy’s basket? I tripped over my dog’s basket a while ago, and broke my knee so I know only too well how easily these things happen and just how much they hurt, lots and lots of sympathy and hope the arm will be better soon.

From across the pond, I am enclosing some warm sunshine from Florida and a raised glass of good wishes and speedy recovery. May Mr. Pussy share his chair with you and whisper sweet thoughts in your ear as you cope with the shift in your get-along each day.

Dear Gentle Author,
Though I wish you a quick mend indeed, if you were to think of this event as an unexpected touch of writer’s block, the chance to observe Mr. Pussy’s more subtle antics – sleeping, stretching, basking etc. – could provide us with some fine, albeit succinct, reading for days to come.

Sorry to hear of your mishap and surely hope you will be able to continue your writing. I am a first generation Yankee born of thoroughly English parents. I’ve made more than a dozen trips to England in search of my heritage. My parents were both sent to Canada as part of the British Home Child diaspora begun by Dr. Barnardo. If you aren’t familiar with that subject, you might find it interesting to research – and perhaps fodder for an interesting article. Hope you are back to 100% soon.

Ouch! I hope it wasn’t your writing arm. My sister in law is in a giant cast as she also has a broken arm and has had all sorts of problems with the simplest things. But before long you’ll be all better.

I agree with the poster who suggested re-running some of your earlier posts… so that’d make things easier on you.

Dear GA,
Yes, we love reading your posts but No, you are not our servant.
We’ll be happy to read whatever you can post whenever you can post it, but first recover. We will wait, because your posts are worth waiting for.
Get well soon.

Dear Gentle Author: I am so sorry to learn of your accident! Cats emit healing vapors, did you know that? Also sleep gas, a colorless and odorless substance that leads to napping when they sit on human laps. Take advantage of both of these fine, oft unnoticed qualities.

So sorry for your discomfort. Due to a chronic illness, I fall too frequently and breaks happen. It’s why I can no longer visit London. But your daily visit in part makes up for my inability by introducing me to parts of the city I’ve missed. One of your posts last year mentioned Jacqui Pearce of the Museum of London. Each year I organize a conference on ceramic history with potters, curators, collectors, dealers, and archaeologists. For next June, Jacqui has agreed to be one of the lecturers. Rest and heal, gentle author.

So sorry to read of your accident, must be really frustrating for you at the moment, hope you will soon be back to normal. We visited the exhibition at 31 Fornier Street a few days ago, which was thanks to you writing about it. Also The City sandwich shop, where the staff were so helpful and the food prepared so well. Again as a result of you writing about the shop. Kind regards

Just wrap up in Mr. Pussy, stay warm, and heal quickly. I was taught that out of anything negative, a new positive door opens. Take care. You are part of my full English breakfast sunshine, and I will put you on my prayer list. Thank you for all the cheer you sent to others.
Cheers from Tucson, Arizona Mary

Apparently cats’ purring can help their bones heal, so I hope Mr Pussy stays close and transmits some beneficial vibrations to you.. (Thanks for the gorgeous picture of him!) Horrible luck. Take it easy and get well soon. Best wishes xx

So sorry to hear about your arm – I tripped on the stairs at home and broke left arm at top near shoulder – it was the most painful thing ever!! Had to sleep sitting up for weeks, but it was left arm and I’m right handed so it must be so difficult for you. Keep us all posted on your progress – very best wishes.

i hope it mends soon xx i am currently typing with one hand, very laborious, so i can sympathise, although it’s because i’m too lazy to put down the papers i am holding. get well soon and look forward to you blogs…

Ah Gentle Author, there are arms that London could more easily spare. When it comes out of plaster, do the physio! I did the exercises scrupulously until my arm felt strong again – but not long enough to stop it ending up slightly banana shaped…

Dear G A, If all these messages were ‘get well’ cards, you could paper a wall with them. But that would be a bit odd I suppose. Hope you mend quickly and find patience to deal with the frustrations of your injury. Best wishes, Caz.

What a wonderful amount of get well wishes! Not that I am really surprised, you truly have so many loyal friends with us all. Wishing you a very speedy recovery, but do go easy whilst your on the mend, and in the meantime do take more water with it!! Gentle (!) Hugs coming through all the way from Brazil for you and Mr P.

I’m so sorry about your fall — hope you’re not feeling too uncomfortable and that the break heals quickly and cleanly. Of course we’ll understand if there are a few gaps in the weeks to come, though knowing your herculean efforts for your readers, I’ll be surprised if there are many, or even any?! Very best wishes, Eley

You poor thing. I assume you are right handed in which case it will be immensely frustrating for you I’m sure. Wishing you a speedy and full recovery and hoping the black cat will bring you better luck in the future. Hymie.

So sorry to hear about your arm…hope you knit up fast and it’s not too painful.
Your blog is one of the pleasures of my life, I know the area well but now live hundreds of miles away, when I see a missive from you, it lights up my entire day!! Love your book too, which is on my bedside table.
Wishing you all the very best for a speedy recovery,
Barbara xx

Just seeing this and sending best wishes from Toronto.
As for the rest, I’d say “break a leg, eh” but I think you’re already one-limb short right now.
Take care. Eat some poutine and butter tarts, and a Canadian beer, and maple syrup taffy — sure to help you mend.

Came back from a break away to read about your “break away”. Also, not good if you are right-handed. Wishing you a speedy recovery – no doubt you’ll have a bit of physio and then they’ll put you on the calcium tablets!

Love your black cat………great face so expressive what’s his real name ,,!!!!!!
Keep on writing just take it slowly and don’t trip over the cat again. I adore your
write ups about the East end of London.so many memories ,it keeps me alive .

I have all your blogs saved so I can read them over and over again ,,,many thanks .
I have taken in two stray cats ,,,,,,,,,,,,just love them …………………
These two now have given me the total of 24 cats I have homed over the last few years ,
bless you .
love and regards Barbara

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